Feature Stories
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Max Roach
by Ken Micallef Simply put, Max Roach brought jazz drumming into the modern age. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell revolutionized jazz with new melodies and concepts; Max matched these musical geniuses with startling rhythms and reactive, action-packed drumming…
Felix "D'kat" Pollard
Felix Pollard’s drums weren’t the only thing pounding after he got a last-minute call to play for Lionel Richie’s 2004 performance on Oprah. The thought of performing for two legends in his hometown of Chicago with no rehearsal gave the…
The Return of Double Drumming’s Greatest Hits
In the February 2007 issue of Modern Drummer, we ran a feature called “Double Drumming’s 25 Greatest Hits.” At the time we asked MD readers to submit their own favorite double-drum performances, which we’d post online at a later date.…
Aaron Gillespie
Aaron Gillespie had things he wanted to say. As drummer and lead vocalist for the screamo outfit Underoath, he was one sixth of the equation. With the recent release of his debut solo opus, Southern Weather, Gillespie grabs his guitar,…
Craig Macintyre
Drummer Craig Macintyre is in the middle of a two-year tour with Josh Groban, promoting the star vocalist’s latest album, Awake. According to the drummer, there are many challenges to the gig. “A lot of people assume Josh’s music is…
Carl Allen: Embracing the Journey
story by Michael Dawson Soon after moving to the New York area in the early ’80s, Carl Allen landed a dream gig with post bop trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. That gig established the then nineteen-year-old drummer as a leading light among…
The Evolution of Jimmy Chamberlin: Still Smashing
by Ken Micallef As a self confessed “elder statesman of music,” and one of the most influential drummers of the past fifteen years, Jimmy Chamberlin has a thing or two to say about the state of the instrument. He…
Jason Sutter with Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth drummer Jason Sutter wasn’t looking to jump ship when he was asked to sit in on a third-call audition for vocalist Chris Cornell. Cornell, who left Audioslave earlier this year, needed a band to tour with in support…
Tony Allen: Afrobeat Legend
As the most important drummer in African music, Tony Allen provided the Afrobeat pulse for Fela Kuti’s Africa ’70s band and recorded a clutch of solo albums (Jealousy, Progress, Lagos No Shaking). Currently Allen works for UK supergroup The Good,…
Dave King of The Bad Plus
Great musicians, regardless of style, should electrify and challenge. The Bad Plus’s Dave King achieves both goals on the trio’s fourth album, PROG. They create intricate improvisations from material as diverse as David Bowie’s “Life On Mars” and Rush’s “Tom…
Mark Zonder of Slavior
After spending over two decades performing in progressive metal acts such as Warlord and Fates Warning, Mark Zonder could be pigeonholed as a one-trick slammer. But if the recent self-titled release of his newest band Slavior is any indication, Zonder’s…
Ian Mosely of Marillion
After spending the past few years writing, recording, and mixing their fourteenth studio album, Marillion is back on the road to let the world hear Somewhere Else. As such, it means a resumption of percussive duties for their long-time drumming…
Mike Portnoy: In Constant "Progressive" Motion
by Mike Haid Mike Portnoy may very well be the hardest-working drummer in the business. His recent three-DVD set, In Constant Motion, which focuses on the past few Dream Theater releases, a slew of Mike’s side projects and tribute bands,…
Gavin Harrison: Displacing Rhythms In Cyberspace
It’s not as if Gavin Harrison needs to lurk on the Internet. He’s popular. You like him! On the strength of his books, DVDs (including the recent Hudson release, Rhythmic Horizons) and performances with UK progressive band Porcupine Tree, you…
